The Oregonian's story on a legal battle over log exports in Astoria prompted a long, thoughtful debate among
readers about free trade, the global economy, local jobs and Oregon's
historic ties to the timber industry.

Though exports of logs from federal and state land has been
banned, log exports remain legal off of private lands. Log exports have more than doubled since 2009 due to strong Chinese demand. Domestic mill owners complain that log exports off of private land deprive them of raw materials and drive up prices, making it harder for local
mills to remain competitive.

Among the free-traders and the not-so-free traders, a
handful of commenters also raised environmental concerns.

Super Straightguy:

Jobs
are created when we process those logs here, adding value to the product. The
loggers and truck drivers will still have the same jobs plus there will be
hundreds of jobs created processing those logs.
Exporting raw logs is
short-sighted and lucrative to a only a very small number of Americans.

Johnsonc20:

It's
a race to the bottom! Who's winning?
Seriously, treating our
forest resources like a third world commodity is always a short-sighted idea.
We should ban raw log export, period. Whether that is legal, I'm not certain,
but it should be - even if the forests being cut for export are privately
owned.

Isjogren:

If
the Chinese aren't allowed to buy raw logs from us, they may not buy our
finished lumber instead, they may buy raw logs from somewhere else. Would we
create more overall jobs if we milled the lumber and sold it to someone else? I
don't know. The economics are rather complex. While I too am concerned about
jobs, I believe that free market enterprise should not be restricted except
when there is a clear economic, environmental, or national security reason to
do so.

Tow chain:

It
appears none of you can relate to being a small private woodland owner. Our family
is one of those 140,000 who comprise that one third share that is in private
ownership. We have mapped out a sustainable cutting and reforestation plan for
our property over a 40 - 60 year cycle. So far monies have gone to support the
70K+ annual costs of nursing care.

So when the small in
number "evil" large comglomerations/corporations are attacked, you
need to realize that there are 140,000 small family groups out there relying on
this system as well.

Ytamer_1:

Lest
you've forgotten, trees play an important role, like cleaning the air WE all
breath and the water we ALL drink. Sure it's "private" timber now,
but when it's gone, they will be eyeing public forest land. We criticize other
countries for cutting down "their" rain forest, also known as the
planets lungs, what's the difference?